A young man was beaten to death with a plasterer's whisk during a brawl at an M25 service station after one of his alleged killers shouted "I'm the man", a court has heard.

Hughie Saunders, 20, suffered fatal head injuries during the fight at Cobham Services on the afternoon of June 26.

Simon Baker, 22, and Mikey Coyle, 21, are on trial at the Old Bailey charged with the murder of Mr Saunders, from Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.

Prosecutor Sandip Patel QC told how the victim, nicknamed Quhey, had been returning home from a family wedding in Wales in a Ford Focus with a friend, aunt and uncle.

They decided to stop for refreshments around the time the defendants, travelling in a van loaded with building tools, also pulled into the forecourt.

As they made to drive off, Coyle and Baker allegedly recognised the victim and turned back, going the wrong way on a roundabout to park in front of the Ford Focus.

Mr Patel said: "The defendants were spoiling for a confrontation of some sort."

They jumped out and Baker allegedly "squared up" to Mr Saunders and "heated words were exchanged", the prosecutor said.

The incident appeared to "ignite" when Coyle said something, and a fight broke out involving all three men which moved into the shop, jurors heard.

CCTV showed the defendants going back to their van where Coyle armed himself with a large shovel and Baker took up a whisk, which he used to inflict a "catastrophic" head injury to Mr Saunders, the court heard.

Coyle allegedly was heard shouting "I'm the man, I'm the man" before taking up his makeshift weapon.

Mr Saunders died two days after the fight at Cobham Services.

The defendants' van was recovered the next day, having been spotted by a police helicopter, but no shovel was found.

On June 29, Baker handed himself in to police saying he had acted in "self-defence".

His co-accused went to police a few days later, and accepted he was at Cobham Services on the day of the fight but did not say who with or what happened, jurors heard.

Baker, of Green Lane, Outwood, near Redhill, and Coyle, from Barnes, deny murder.

The trial continues.